City Of Edina issued the following announcement on May 29.
Braemar Golf Course, 6364 John Harris Drive, has been awarded two grants totaling $8,000 through the Minnesota Section PGA Foundation. The PGA HOPE and George Walters grants will help the golf course provide programs specifically for veterans and golfers of all ages and abilities.
The PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) grant will introduce golf to Veterans with disabilities to enhance their physical, mental, social and emotional wellbeing. Braemar received $4,500 toward its PGA HOPE program. Staff is currently working in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to finalize 2020 program details and hopes to host it mid-July through August.
In 2018, Braemar Golf Course Head Golf Professional Jay Meyerhoff created 100 Holes for Hope in in partnership with PGA REACH Minnesota, the nonprofit charitable foundation of the Minnesota PGA Section. The annual fundraiser aims to involve PGA Professionals, military veterans and all golf enthusiasts in a marathon round of 100 holes, with the proceeds benefitting numerous PGA HOPE Chapters across the Minnesota PGA Section. In its first two years, the event raised more than $140,000 to help Minnesota courses enhance their PGA HOPE programs.
This year’s event will be on Thursday, June 18, at Mount Frontenac Golf Course. Proceeds will continue to benefit the PGA HOPE program, but will also benefit the frontline workers of the COVID-19 pandemic. Personal protective equipment (PPE) donations will also be accepted at the event.
As a George Walters Grant Program recipient, Braemar will use the $3,500 awarded to enhance its existing Larry Nelson Adaptive Golf program. The program is designed for golfers of all ages and abilities. Experienced volunteers teach golf etiquette, basic skills and rules to participants. The program typically runs April through June, but has been postponed this year due to COVID-19. Staff is working to determine its rescheduled dates.
The program is named after the late Larry Nelson, who started in 1990 an adaptive golf league for those with cognitive disabilities in Richfield, Minnesota. After their course closed, he brought it to Edina in 2000. The City renamed the program shortly after Nelson passed away in 2009.
“Offering these programs strengthen our golf community in Edina,” said Braemar Golf Course General Manager Joe Abood. “Everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy the game of golf, and we are proud to welcome veterans and those of all ages and abilities onto Braemar Golf Course.”
The Minnesota PGA works to promote the enjoyment and involvement in the game of golf and to contribute to its growth by providing services to golf professionals and the golf industry. Through it charitable efforts, it strives to enable access to the game of golf utilizing PGA Professionals to positively impact the lives of youth, military, and divers populations with an emphasis on inclusion.
For more information, visit BraemarGolf.com or contact Abood at jabood@EdinaMN.gov or 952-903-5754. To learn more about the 100 Holes for Hope event, visit 100HolesforHope.com.
Original source can be found here.
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